What do you think The Noose means?

A Perfect Circle: The Noose Meaning

Tagged: Drugs [suggest]
Album cover for The Noose album cover

The Noose Lyrics

So glad to see you, well,
Overcome them, completely silent now
With heaven's help
You cast your demons out

And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Dec 25th 2008 !⃝

    Maynard says that this is about what he heard at a speech. The speaker said something to the effect of "Don't let your halo choke you to death when it's hanging there around your neck". He said this is about when people feel high and mighty because they beat their addiction. He is trying to let them know that even though they beat the addiction, they still can't forget all of the hardships they put themselves and other through. Beautiful song and one of Maynard's favorites.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    ih8u2ho
    click a star to vote
    Apr 10th 2006 !⃝

    What the guy above said is true for the most post. Just he was not as in depth as I'll be. The song is basically Maynard talking to either someone in real life directly or just about a recovering drug addict in general.


    " So glad to see you well
    Overcome and completely silent "

    This is the beggining of the song it is Maynard saying he's glad to see the person doing well and the person overcame the drug addiction but the person isn't talking back.
    Possibly because the person is ignoring him.

    "Now with heaven's help
    You cast your demons out "

    These lyrics are basically saying with religion's help the person overcame his or her drug addiction. (The 12 step drug/alcohol program says to use God's help to cure yourself)

    "And not to pull your halo down
    Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
    But I'm more than just a little curious
    How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends
    To the dead "

    This is Maynard saying sarcastically that he's not trying to take him off his new found spiritual ego trip or anything (which he really is) but a recovering alcoholic has to make amends with those he hurt (step 9) and he's curious how he can do that to those that aren't alive anymore.

    Then he tells him:
    "Recall the deeds as if they're all
    Someone else's
    Atrocious stories "

    Which is Maynard saying the person did many atrocious things yet the guy doesn't seem to realize he was the one who did those bad things, he thinks of it as someone else doing the damaging things he in fact did.

    "Now you stand reborn
    Before us all
    So glad to see you well "

    But the guy is now reborn thanks to god so the past deeds don't matter to the guy apparently so Maynard sarcastically says so glad to see you well.

    Then he goes back sarcastically saying yet again:

    "And not to pull your halo down
    Around your neck and tug you to the ground"

    Which one can figure out.

    "But I'm more than just a little curious
    How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends
    To the dead
    With your halo slippin' down
    Your halo slippin'
    Your halo slippin' down
    Your halo slippin' down

    Your halo slippin' down
    (I'm more than just a little curious
    How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends)
    [repeated]

    Your halo slippin' down
    Your halo slippin' down to choke you now "

    This is Maynard saying the guy is slipping as far as recovery. He's turning back to drugs and he's curious how he can go about making his amends in general now instead of his earlier saying just to the dead since one can't advance in the addiction program if they are doing drugs. And the last line saying his halo's slipping down to choke him is basically Maynard saying the guy has relapsed and his new found morality is gone.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 22nd 2006 !⃝

    Of course no one can really know the true meaning behind the song, but I would like to throw my 2 cents in the hat:

    i think it is about someone on death row who has committed countless murders and hurt many people. Now that this person is on death row he finds God and religion as so many often do. Maynard is using this song to convey the message that hiding behind religion does not forgive any of your past deeds (especially ones that hurt others).

    I love the lyric "but I'm more than just a little curious how your planning to go about making amense to the dead?" its like Maynard is trying to force the fact that this person hurt someone and that there really is no salvation (god or otherwise) for the crimes they have committed.

    I totally relate to this song in a big way. I find born-again's very very hard to believe. It's such a cop out to just say you believe in god. Just because god forgave you doesn't mean you aren't scum.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 9th 2017 !⃝

    This is the interpretation in notification format :

    A whispering inquiry to the Talmudic rabbi's of the past :

    "I'm more than just a little curious - how your planning to making your amends - to the dead ? "

    With the help of the Vatican's Jesuit Order (A MILITARY ORDER) - enlisting the elite SS as a "secret bodyguard unit for Hitler, but not commanded by him" / covert assasunation unit >> to initiate the REAL holocaust against those of the Caucasian jews - those of the Ashke(NaZi) - those who converted to the Babylonian religion more than 10 centuries before the event - known as Judaism - then to MURDER them in cold blood by the hundreds of thousands, then blame such atrocities on others caught in the middle of such a worldwide bloody conflict; the weak and old and rejected among your own -- and those of them or anyone who would not support your hidden plans to usurp the land of Palestine - as if YOU were the actual offspring of the people Y'srael...

    " Recall the deeds as if they're all - Someone else's - atrocious stories - Now you stand reborn before us all "

    ...but we who can see - SEE who you really are !

    ...but, as you stood hidden like cowards behind the fog of war -- nevertheless - your secret Transfer Agreement between your contrivances and Hitler is now VERY well known by many.

    With your HALO slipping down slowly around your neck like a noose by which to hang you -- what do you have to say for yourself for devising such a WICKED crime against YOUR OWN PEOPLE and humanity as a whole !?!

    The secret is OUT !! We who research thoroughly - KNOW what you have done !!

    And most certainly - the Creator YaH knows precisely what you have done !!

    Your time as murders and usurpers and thieves and perpetrators of THE REAL people of YaH is swiftly coming to an end !!

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 29th 2017 !⃝

    Ok, I see some good insight here. I just want to throw in my feelings on what this song means to me.

    I was raised Mormon, as in that religion was not just a backdrop that might sometimes influence one's life but an ingrained foundation from which all decisions were based. I did not connect with that, and as you might expect was not greeted by much enthusiasm for such. I looked back and saw the death and destruction done by armies, fanatics, and governments done through religious justifications. It seemed fundamentally contradictory to the basic tenets of the ideology. This song is not about one person in the slightest to me, but uses the perspective on a singular person to represent the entire hypocritical nature of these institutions and how they try to whitewash the past deeds of what was done in their 'name' so to speak. They overcome and 'recover', but still have to face the repercussions of those actions. This is paid in the sense that the symbol of their ascension becomes the rope around their necks, the irony is dripping. For myself, that's brilliant. What they originally intended is obsolete, otherwise Maynard would be correcting us all. It's art, take from it what resonates, that's the point. You are all right!

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 24th 2015 !⃝

    I think dude is a dick. He is soo unhappy about being abused and losing his mother that he writes songs casting judgement on anyone and everyone that finds happiness. This coming from the guy who put a man sucking his own D on the cover of his album. Anti religion,anti military,anti American, yet he enjoys the protection of his freedom of expression, & speech A cult leader if there ever was one. The way his fans worship him & dissect his predictable lyrics just says "Jamestown". His negative spin on just about everything from women, God, and trying to fix one's self just reaffirms he is a very unhappy person and wishes the same for us all. Drink up, the kool aid is just fine!

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
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    Dec 12th 2014 !⃝

    It is called the noose because the halo he sings of is slipping down to hang them as a noose. As in, you may be on the right path now but you already did damage and now you want to be seen as a saint because you stopped doing the things you never should have done to begin with which is why the halo doubles as a noose. As for anyone that thinks maynard is talking about judgement day; you do not know maynard at all. He thinks religion is a joke and used to keep people in line or for the weak that cannot deal with their own actions or things life throws at you without comforting yourself by thinking it is all gods grand plan. He even went as far as announcing he converted to christianity on april fools day. Yes, this is very 12 step oriented and i still am lost on the "to the dead" part..although for me, when i hear it, i think about how my abuser turned to god and got his own conscience clean but i am still damaged and a little dead inside from what happened. No 12 steps or prayer to god is going to restore what has changed in me forever. I have found my own peace with it but no one goes thru these things without it impacting them to the point of who they could have been is now changed.

  8. RevolutionX
    click a star to vote
    Sep 9th 2013 !⃝

    The album is called 13th Step because its about 12 Step program(s). 13th stepping in AA at least with some locations is overall referring to someone who flirts or goes out with people who have less than a year sober, therefore not practicing the principles of AA. Not practicing the principles is hypocritical which I believe The Noose is largely referring to hypocricy.

    He's saying that this person has joined a 12 step group and has accepted a higher power and is well because he's largely forgiven himself for his sins. He's supposedly a new person.

    "And not to pull your halo down
    Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
    But I'm more than just a little curious
    How you're planning to go about
    Making your amends to the dead
    To the dead"

    "The dead" meaning that he left the relationship a long time ago, so "not to pull your halo down" meaning not to pull you off your arrogant pedestal, but how are you going to make amends to someone who is not there any longer.

    "Recall the deeds as if
    They're all someone else's
    Atrocious stories
    Now you stand reborn before us all
    So glad to see you well"

    This arrogant person practices no humility and responsibility for the atrocious things he has done really, he's now reborn and well as if it never happened.

    "With your halo slipping down
    Your halo slipping
    Your halo slipping down
    Your halo slipping down
    Your halo slipping down [repeated]

    Your halo slipping down to choke you now"

    This could mean a few things but the basic point is that this persons halo is slipping down to choke him because he is or will ultimately pay the price through his lack of self knowledge. His continuing to ignore what he's done is his own undoing.

    The song is making an ultimate power statement of someone who suffered horrid things in the hands of another who then got sober or clean, by saying "you didn't kill me, I killed you by removing you from my head. I don't care any more, you have no power over me, and you are the one that will choke in the end because you won't take any real responsibility."

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 17th 2013 !⃝

    Maynard's just a little mad at Trent Reznor for covering "Dead Souls" when everyone knows that Ian Curtis' original version is a masterpiece and should not have been touched,even by the Nails.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  10. anonymous
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    Jul 30th 2013 !⃝

    Its about president bush and 911 dumbasses his lyric suggest how bush was seen as a hero until after 911 were there were suspicion of foul play that is all no spiritual war or religious protest just G.W.BUSH its even on the music video butt wads

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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    Mar 7th 2013 !⃝

    I'm not trying to hate. However, this song is definitely speaking about a Religious war, or horrible thing that happened due to a religious group. Probably a mass murder. Knowing Maynard's dislike for religion, it makes perfect sense if you think about it.
    Obviously there is an element of satire/ sarcasm in here, such as,
    "So glad to see you, well,
    Overcome them, completely silent now."
    clearly he is not glad to see them...we know this because of other details in the lyrics.
    We know it is religious because,
    "With heaven's help"
    He could also be talking about the corrupt church, as many people believe the pope/ hierarchy of the church worships the devil, I'm pretty sure Maynard subscribes to this idea. Here's some evidence of that:
    "You cast your demons out
    And not to pull your halo down
    Around your neck and tug you off your cloud."
    We know it is about a murder because,
    "But I'm more than just a little curious
    How you're planning to go about
    Making your amends to the dead
    To the dead"
    We know it is most likely a genocide/ MASS murder, because he says, "The deeds, plural, as well as "to the dead" indicating it is more than one person.

    "Recall the deeds as if
    They're all someone else's
    Atrocious stories"
    This is when the blame is placed over someone else.

    "Now you stand reborn before us all"
    This could be referring to the reformation, where the catholic church claimed to have fixed things such as priest prostitution, and no longer controlling literature. this happened in the early 1500s.


    An alternate interpretation could be that the church has been lying about heaven and hell, or all religion in general lying about this (or just not having the knowledge), therefore they must make amends to the dead.

    Again, there was no hate intended in my interpretation...completely factual.

  12. anonymous
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    May 5th 2012 !⃝

    Perhaps its Maynards message to George W. Bush for using "religion" to get elected and then for starting the ridiculous war that had killed thousands and destroyed our economy. Just a thought I had just now when I was listening to it. More plausible is the whole drug addiction recovery, self-righteous thing.

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 10th 2012 !⃝

    He's obviously talking about a relationship. how evil and vindictive girls can be but still put up a front like there a perfect little angel. if your a guy and you have an ex girlfriend then please relisten to the song. when he says " I can see your halo slippin down" he's talking about seeing her true side come out.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. anonymous
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    Nov 29th 2011 !⃝

    I was told by a reliable source that the song is about a female who belonged to a 12 step program. she was thirteenth stepped, relapse and died in active addiction. That very well could be true but i think the idea of the noose is that people get clean and the feel what is called the pink cloud effect. They become self righteous and there halo began's to grow. Maynard is basically saying great so ur clean, how could any amends you'll ever make possibly account for the turmoil you've cause or the people u've hurt. If your not careful your halo will get so big that it will slip around your neck and tug u off your pink cloud.

  15. anonymous
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    Jun 14th 2011 !⃝

    This song can be interpreted many way and it will differ from listener to listener. When I first heard it I had to listen to listen to it a few more times in order to get the lyrics. To me this is about people that portray themselves as high and mighty even though they what they did in the past was terrible. Like a murder convict that found God in prison and now claims to be reborn and preaches as if he/she didn't commit terrible sins as well. Or a Christian priest that has a thing for little kids. He stands behind that altar preaching the word of God while behind the closed doors his halo starts slipping down. A politician that portrays him/herself as honest and a servant of the people but in reality they are corrupted. The list can go on and on.

    And MJK's question to such people is "what's your plan to make amends to the dead". He's asking to that person that when the time comes to the final judgment, what is he or she going to own up to their sins. Because most likely that halo will slip down and choke them out.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 10th 2011 !⃝

    I feel above are right to a point but m is talking about people who try to place themselves above others being brought down by their own means eg politicians taking wat they can from people untill people realize they dont need the polly in the first place and thesame with the pope ect ect so choked by their own halo
    .

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 6th 2011 !⃝

    Now see I was looking at it like he was a drug dealer. Sold A bunch of people drugs and killed them, then got outta the drugs and got saved never paying for his misdeeds.

  18. anonymous
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    Jun 5th 2011 !⃝

    well, first off. I am a recovered drug addict. I was in my own personal hell for 8 years and hurt anyone that ever loved me. I've been clean for 2 years now. Maynard's explaination of the lyrics was about a recovering addict giving a speech explaining to ppl that just b/c you've cleaned up and gotten your life right, that it still doesn't change the fact that you hurt alot of ppl and it doesn't justify all of the terrible things you've done. Warning us to not become high and mighty b/c we beat an addiction and warning us that no matter how hard we try to change our live's for the better that we could never find forgiveness or redemtion for the pain we caused. Yes, this hits home for me. I've been clean for 2 years now. I'm proud of it, but all of those ppl that I hurt so badly will never forgive me or forget and it's the most terrible feeling in the world. Knowing that I cleaned up and was foolish enough to think that make me right w/ the world. I believe in god, but that had nothing to do w/ my descision and I have learned the hardest lesson of all...there's nothing in this world i could ever do to make amends for what i did. not to the dead, but to ppl that are dead to me. I tried making amends step:9 i think and the closest thing to peace that i ever got was ,"well, I'm happy for you i really am, but that doesn't undo the damage that you did. Stay clean and be good to the next girl. I wish you well. Good-bye." Anyone that's ever went through this understands how much it hurts to know that after making the biggest apology you ever possibly could (changing the one thing about myself that ripped us apart) you can never be forgiven or trusted enough to ever earn back their respect. No, I wasn't high and mighty. I never claimed that I deserved forgiveness (god's or anyone else's) And yes, when i look back on it all, i do recall those deeds as if it was someone ele's story. B/c that's how far gone i was and how much i've changed. In rehab they say,"apologise once and let your actions and you're way of life speak for itself." That's exactly what I've done, but I could never forgive myself. I was never high and mighty and i never had a halo, but i definitely have a noose around my neck. Just knowing every day that no matter how hard I try to prove to ppl I love that i'm not that person any more, it gets tighter every time. Please think, before you judge ppl for their past mistakes. Sometimes we really do change for the better but it never seems to be enough. I'm through convincing ppl. I've decided to just make the most of my new life and be good to the ones that never knew that part of me and the rest of you should do the same :D

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